Rosen Blaue
by the hotpocket hunter
Summary: (Ever get tired of good characters just disappearing at the end of an arc? I hate that.) Rosen Blaue. What is it? Where have all the prisoners gone? What is Laxus doing at the Grand Magic Games? And since when is Lucy a Guild Master? Honestly, I loved writing this, so while the suspense isn't great, it's good for fans missing under-appreciated characters. Not sure why I rated it T.
1. Chapter 1

_**Read **_

Not really sure what this is. Story ideas anyone? I'm thinking of something with secret guild and rebellion-ish-ness. Got lost magic and epic plans for this, but I seriously need a co-writer or someone to bounce ideas with, for all my stories preferably. Any advice would be fantastic, I'm desperate and will soon be dragged off by the gorgeous plotbunny that is Sesshomaru.

Facts that may help your understanding of this bunny: Greza, Nali, Jellu, and other pairings that have not yet been decided. Mainly jellu because I think Erza is too hard on poor Jellal, who's actually very sweet. This fits during the Magic Games, though at this point they've barely begun in the actual manga and the anime is going off on an arc. Urtear, Meredy, and Jellal are all (secretly) hanging around fairy tail. Laxus has been re-admitted to the guild. Jellal has been staying with Erza because he'd rather be around Fairy Tail then go on jobs for long periods of time. Ultear and Meredy might take him shopping. 0_o

Sting and Rogue have zero screen time in the anime, so sorry if they're OOC. I read the manga, and this is kind of my interpretation of things... If you hadn't noticed, I have a bit of a problem with authority. And letting attractive villains go to aste and disappear at the end of an arc.

This whole thing is unbelievably off-canon, but it's fun to write, so oh well.

Picked the name at random. Just liked the way it sounded.

As for the disclaimer, it's on my profile page. That way I don't have to type it at the top of every chapter.

* * *

Chapter 1 (Fairy Tail Guild)

Erza sighed, watching Jellal from the opposite side of the guild.

Mira noticed her uncharacteristic behaviour. "Is something the matter, Erza?"

"Jellal's been acting strangely," Erza explained. "He seems tired and distracted frequently, and I know he's been sneaking out at night."

"Hmmmm..." hummed Natsu, eyes like equal signs. "Lucy, too. She didn't even kick us out of her house yesterday."

"Really?" leered Cana, eavesdropping. "I wonder if they're together~?" she smirked.

Levy, overhearing, squealed in delight. "That would be so cute! Their magic even matches!"

Across the guild, Jellal, while not hearing the conversation, still shrunk into his seat under the intense stares of the crowd whispering frantically at the end of the bar.

Gray 'tch'ed. "So what if they are?" While a stranger would have been offended, Gray's nakama understood this was Gray for 'I don't care how curious you are, if you upset Lucy I'll turn you into a popsicle.' The Ice Mage viewed Lucy as a sort of younger sister, going to great lengths to take care of her.

"Hmmm..." mused Erza. "That would explain why they're both acting strangely."

Cana's eyes turned devious. "Let's follow him tonight!" she suggested.

Natsu was looking forward to ambushing Lucy, and the girls were fantasizing about the two's relationship. Gray resorted to glaring.

* * *

Jellal glanced around, having gone to bed fully dressed. Breathing softly, he padded across the room, barefoot, and slipped through the window.

Erza's eyes gleamed in the darkness as she followed her roommate's progress silently. Requipping into burglar-like attire and earning a sweat-drop from the other girls staked out around the building, she lead them after his swiftly fading form.

Jellal leapt from rooftop to rooftop, silent and surprisingly agile. He ran along gutter pipes, walking over laundry lines like tightropes. A black cap mashed down over his spiky blue hair muffled the noticeable color.

Along the way, they bumped into Gray and Natsu. Gray immediately clamped a hand over the Salamander's mouth, stifling what would have been a greeting loud enough to wake all of Magnolia.

He dragged Natsu behind a large potted plant, urging the girl's to follow him. They crouched low, throwing glances over to keep watch on their prey.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Cana.

"Following Lucy," was the hushed reply.

"Eh?"

The group, clumped together in two's and three's, skirted the shadows, diving behind random objects whenever their respective quarries slowed or glanced around.

They scurried through thick shrubbery, following the two under the bridge as they came down from opposite sides, though still on the same bank.

A giggle echoed through the hidden spot, Lucy tugging off Jellal's cap in favor of tidying his rumpled blue locks.

Jellal sat obediently, a small smile tugging at his lips as he enjoyed the simple attention. "Are we early, or are they late?"

"You're early," stated a dry voice from the other side of the bridge.

Lucy waved in greeting. "Hi Rogue, hello Frosch, Lector!"

"What about me?" whined Sting childishly, offended.

"Hello to you too, Sting," Lucy laughed.

The 2 exceed waved in response, Frosch soaring over to give Lucy a hug as the two Dragon Slayers forded the river, Lector riding on Sting's shoulder.

Gray noticed a small firepit built out of rocks and filled with driftwood. Lucy's question pulled him from his thoughts in surprise.

"Who else is coming?"

"Um... Let's see," mumbled Sting, counting on his fingers. "She's busy..."

Rogue stated flatly, "Laxus, if he bothers, Midnight, if he's awake, Cobra, Shou, Zeref, and Meredy."

Sting glared at his dark-haired partner in annoyance, noting the faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Erza and Gray exchanged a sharp glance. Zeref?

A few rocks tumbled down the opposite bank with a skittering sound as three smaller figures hurried down the slope. Shou, Meredy, and... Zeref?

"Sho, wait up!" he yelped, stumbling.

"You'll have to catch me!" Shou called, laughing as he picked up speed.

Meredy trailed after them as fast as she could, struggling to keep up. "Guys! Wait for me!"

Shou pushed through the river quickly, Zeref and Meredy pausing to catch their breath before following him. All three snagged hugs from Lucy, Zeref lingering to stand beside her as the other two began to strip down to their swimsuits.

Shou wore red swimtrunks decorated with a cluster of black spades at the cuff of one leg. Meredy's was a one-piece with orange and pink stripes, matching her pink hair perfectly. Zeref, though also wearing a dark hoody, had of course chosen all-black trunks.

Midnight slowly meandered nearer, appearing from a patch of shadows as Cobra slinked around a bush. Laxus was last to arrive, his favorite jacket draped over his shoulders.

The Fairy Tail Mages-turned-spies were shocked. This unlikely group gathering had stunned even the dense Natsu into silence. Jellal was a fugitive, Laxus was ridiculously anti-social, Midnight and Cobra were from Oracion Seis, Shou was supposed to be travelling the continent, the Twin Dragon Slayers were members of Sabertooth, and Zeref was the most powerful Black Mage in history for Merlin's sake!

"I'm sorry we're late!" apologized Meredy breathlessly. "Shou was teasing Zeref again!"

Lucy laughed. "It's fine Meredy. It's not like the city's on fire." She frowned thoughtfully. "Yet. I don't know what Natsu is up to tonight. Definitely yet."

Gray snickered quietly.

"Tch," snorted Laxus. "We're not here to listen to you whine about that flame-brained idiot, we're here to take a break from training."

Lucy pouted. "I know that's Laxus for 'Don't worry about him, just have fun' but it still sounds mean."

Sting snickered as Laxus' eye twitched. The two began to bicker until the small, dark-haired boy knocked them both over the heads.

Lucy smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Ze-nii."

"Ze-_nii_?" whispered Gray, mind pretty much entirely blown.

"Any time, Nee-san," he replied. His smile was all teeth, canines looking almost like fangs. Smiling, he looked incredibly young, the tuft of black hair sticking straight up at the back of his head not exactly helping.

She ruffled his hair fondly before he went to sit with Shou, the latter showing him cardtricks as he cheered him on enthusiastically.

Frosch and Lector soon settled beside the water, Frosch begging 'Fairy-san' to catch her a fish.

"Awwww~" cooed Lucy. "You're so cute! Of course I'll catch you a fish, Fro!" She crouched beside the water, hand held just above the surface. Cobra knelt beside her, taking up the same position. Their hands shot out at once, splashing two glistening fish up onto the bank for the Exceed, who grabbed their snacks quickly.

"Are we going to swim or not?" complained Sting.

Lucy shook her head. "So impatient... but I guess that's what we came here to do..." she trailed off as she shimmied out of her clothing. She was left in a white bikini with a few blue sakura blossoms scattered across its fabric.

Sting whistled appreciatively before Rogue emotionlessly knocked him over the head with his sheathed katana. Jellal settled for a mild glare, more amused than anything else, before stripping down to blue trunks with a cluster of vivid red stars on one hip.

The others mimicked their actions, compliments and friendly banter passing between them, inspired by their swimwear. Laxus was teased for his lack of originality when it was discovered his trunks had lightning bolts on them, but he was quick to throw Shou under the bus as an escape.

"He uses card magic, and his have spades on them," he grumbled.

"That's not fair and you know it Laxus," accused Shou smoothly. "I'm dashing. I can wear whatever I want and still look good enough that no one will make a comment on my clothes."

The surprised silence was slightly awkward, Shou just smirking.

"Somehow, he sounds like Sting," Jellal mused.

Sting prepared to start an argument, but was smacked upside the head by Rogue.

Lucy, still staring, wondered, "How is it that I was actually considering the possibility of that statement?"

Meredy blushed ridiculously, then murmured, "Maybe because it's only a slight exaggeration of the truth..."

Shou cracked his signature crooked grin. "It's my roguish charm."

Jellal hummed innocently. "Somehow Rogue doesn't fit into the roguish charm section."

"Yup," agreed Lucy. "More like tall, dark, and emotionless type."

Even Laxus managed a snort at that. "I think you've twisted the phrase."

"Nope!" chirped Lucy. "I just live in another reality than you."

"I think Jellal lives there too," confided Meredy. "When you startle him he says really weird things."

"Like what?" demanded Sting, looking for potentially embarassing information.

"Really, really weird," warned Meredy.

Lucy snickered. "One morning, he fell asleep at the guild. He was lucky it was just me and Mira, when he woke up he yelled, 'Monkeys!'"

Most of the group burst out laughing. Rogue's lips twitched.

Jellal, thoroughly embarassed, rested his chin on Lucy's shoulder, arms about her loosely from behind. "'s not my fault," he mumbled.

Meredy smirked evilly. "Another time, he was teasing me by calling me Mer-Mer because it annoyed me. He spaced out in the middle of me yelling at him, and only came back to earth right before I finished. Do you know what he asked me?"

"What!?" was the unanimous response.

"Do you think that when penguins die, they go to a giant igloo in the sky?"

There was a moment of stunned silence, before rib-aching laughter possessed them all.

"He was dead serious too!" Meredy insisted.

Blushing furiously, Jellal buried his face in Lucy's blonde hair.

She took pity on him, distracting the others the only way she knew how. Lethal combat.

"Water fight!"

An all-out water-fight battle royale broke out, Shou dunking Zeref before being tripped into the water by Meredy. Lucy dove into the river, clinging to the bottom. Jellal went in after her, but Sting perched atop a boulder, out of splashing-range.

"Try to splash me now!" he cackled.

Rogue smirked. "Behind you."

"Wha-"

_Splash!_

Sting surfaced, spluttering and coughing. "Lucy!" he growled.

Lucy, having flying-tackled him into the river, squeaked with fear before diving again. He dove after her, the two knocking over the others in thier haste. Lucy finally managed to dive behind Midnight, making Sting slam into him and both of them go under.

Breathless but triumphant, she collapsed back into the water, floating on the surface lazily.

Jellal swam up beside her as Sting and Midnight began to duke it out.(Midnight was winning. He had no issue with pulling hair or biting, whereas Sting thought they were 'sissy' moves.)

"Having fun?" he asked, smiling.

"Yeah..." Lucy sighed. "It's nice to get everyone together for something other than training."

Jellal chuckled, threading his fingers through hers as they floated side-by-side. "Although, their behaviour isn't all that different."

Lucy smiled. "Yeah, they honestly remind me of Fairy Tail. Always fighting over something, destroying things for fun, and just generally wreaking havoc." Her smile faded after a moment. "I'm worried about our Sabertooth members."

"How come?" asked Jellal, eyebrows furrowing. "They're plenty powerful."

"It's sort of because of that..." she murmured. "I'm worried about Minerva. There's something off about her, and I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"It'll be alright," Jellal reassured her. "You're worried about that vision of Minerva taking Lector hostage, right?"

* * *

"I wonder what they're talking about?" whispered Levi.

Erza frowned. "Whatever it is, it seems serious."

* * *

Jellal rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "We're making a clean break from the ther guilds, remember? Right at the beginning of the games, so Minerva won't get that chance."

Lucy took a shaky breath, pushing away the memory. "Yeah. A clean break. We can do this." Her voice was firm again.

Jellal grinned crookedly. "That's my girl."

* * *

The rest of the night was spent in revelry, with drinking, carousing, another water war, and a riverside cookout-style dinner. The unusual group obviously enjoyed themselves, but eventually, each called it a night.

Lucy and Jellal were last to go, stretching their goodbyes out as long as they could.

Lucy leaned against Jellal, arms around his neck.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he supplied reluctantly, movements contradicting his words as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"We could do a job together," suggested Lucy quietly.

"I'd like that," he responded, with a crooked smile. "We spend too much time apart. I know it can't be helped with the revolution and all, but it just seems like I never get to see you."

Lucy snuggled closer, leaning her forehead against his. "I feel the same way," she agreed, "but we've got just three more days until the games begin, and three more days until we can stop sneaking around. Everyone will know about Rosen Blaue, and then we can go on a proper date." She laughed.

Jellal sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Then we'll see about that job, eh?"

The two shared a soft, chaste kiss before parting ways. Their waves goodbye were slow and reluctant, but both headed home.

As the two disappeared into the darkness, Levi stood up.

"THAT WAS SO ADORABLE!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Marakov hummed thoughtfully, eyes closed as he pondered the predicament. His brats had claimed that his talented Celestial child was keeping worrying company, mentioning "training" and something big that would happen during the Grand Magic games. The group waited on his answer to their worries with bated breath.

"Bwahahahaha!" Makarov burst out Laughlin, startling them. Several members face-vaulted, and even Erza at least sweat-dropped.

"We'll trust Lucy's judgment," he decided happily. "She's a bright girl, and pretty too..." he mumbled the 2nd part under his breath.

Erza stared him down. "Master, I ask you to reconsider. Lucy-"

"Enough, Erza," interrupted Makarov, not unkindly. "Lucy knows what she's doing, even if the rest of us don't. She does not need you to maker her decisions for her, and she has the right to befriend anyone she wishes to. Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes, and even if her companions are only in it for themselves, they are most likely intelligent enough to realize that following her is in their best interests. Besides," he chuckled, suddenly more cheerful. "The longer they stay with her, the harder it will be for them to leave. Lucy has a way of making a place for herself in the hearts of those around her."

The group reluctantly left his office, entering the guild to see Jellal and Lucy conversing animatedly in front of the request board.

"Ooh, how about this one?" Lucy suggested, pointing to a flyer.

"Take care of a small Dark Guild stealing from a town for 200,000 jewels?" read Jellal. "I suppose we could. It shouldn't be too hard, and the reward is good. It's more than enough to pay your rent, even if we split it, so there's food included."

Levy, eavesdropping, ended up sweat-dropping. They both worry so much about money...

Lucy snatched up the request happily, almost skipping over to the bar to let Mirajane know.

"Oh, Lucy, you're going out on a job?" she asked, smiling.

"Yup, this one," answered Lucy, showing her the flyer.

Mirajane added the request to her log. "Alright, but be careful, okay? It might be dangerous on your own," she worried.

Lucy laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "I'll be fine Mirajane, Jellal's coming with me."

Mirajane was surprised, but pleased. "Good luck!"

"Thanks Mirajane," Lucy called, waving as she left. "Bye!"

"Goodbye, Lucy!"

Outside, Jellal and Lucy conferred. "Okay, I'm going to go get my backpack. I'll meet you at the station, okay?"

Jellal nodded, and the two parted ways.

* * *

"Aaaahhh!" exhaled Lucy, flopping down on the couch. She and Jellal had rented a hotel room for the night, anticipating the job taking a couple days if the Dark Guild members were tricky.

Jellal joined her on the oversized furniture, arm slung across her stomach as he sprawled across the cushions, face-down. "I hate trains," he muttered. "All the noise gives me a headache."

Lucy carded her fingers through his hair sympathetically, humming a lullaby she vaguely remembered her mother singing. She stayed that way until Jellal dozed off, then welcome slumber.

* * *

One very nice nap later, the two headed into the forest towards the Dark Guild's last known camp. Lucy crouched by the firepit, prodding at the coals with a stick. "Nope. Dead," she announced. "They've been gone for a while; it's cold now, so they would've lit a fire if they were here, and for all the coals to be dead it must have been at least a couple of days for a pit this big."

Jellal nodded, frowning. "Let's set a trap here in case they come back, and keep looking," he decided.

Lucy summoned Virgo and turned the entire clearing into one of her signature pitfalls, then dismissed the spirit and took Jellal's hand. The two, chanting softly, wove an illusion that bent light and air to mimic the way the clearing originally would have looked, hiding the trap.

Afterwards, they headed back into town for dinner. They ended up getting dango and some kind of cooked pork kabobs from a stand, and ate in the park. It was surprising that Jellal, moving from a life of slavery into temporary, possessed-by-a-ghost wealth, and Lucy, from a wealthy family but striking out on her own with nothing more than her keys and the clothes she was wearing, had the same tastes. It amused Lucy to no end, and Jellal was just happy because it meant they could share. Jellal was one of those people that always wanted a couple of bites of each thing on the table, and his snacking habits earned him a lot of teasing.

Lucy giggled as Jellal chomped down almost viciously on the dango, obviously very hungry and enjoying the food. He gave her a sheepish grin as he swallowed.

Lucy couldn't help but kiss him there on that park bench just before twilight, a kabob in each hand, hair ruffled, and eyes wide with surprise.

* * *

After dinner, Lucy and Jellal headed back into the woods, taking the long way around in hopes of spotting some clue as they made their way to the trap to check it.

Fortunately, (or unfortunately for the thieves) they ran into the Dark Guild members entirely by accident.

"Hidake!" ordered Lucy, golden key in hand. "Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!"

"We are!" Scorpio declared as he materialized.

"Take them out with Sandbuster!" she decided.

The resulting sandy cyclone of never-ending sandiness actually knocked out about half of the members, making Lucy's eye twitch in disbelief.

Jellal braced his left arm with his right, and fired a ball of golden energy from his flattened palm. "Heaven's Palm!"

As the spell impacted the other members, they were knocked unconscious immediately. Jellal sighed. "Geez... that was easy. That's even all the members."

Lucy pouted. "That was boring. At least the reward is good, even if it's too much."

Jellal rubbed at his temples. "Hey, they offered that much, they ought to pay it."

Lucy frowned. "Headache back?"

"Yes." His answer was clipped.

"Hidake, Gate of the Virgin. Virgo!" The maid spirit appeared and bowed. "Punishment, Hime?"

"Not for you Cirgo. Take these criminals to jail and collect the reward please."

"Hai, Hime."

Lucy pulled Jellal's arm around her neck and let him lean on her, wrapping her free arm around his waist. "Aera."

White wings identical to Happy's materialized behind her with a burst of green light, and she took off. Slow, measured movements kept Jellal from being jostled, and she was soon descending to the hotel balcony.

Lucy helped the blunet wobble over to the couch and sat him down. Jellal turned to lay down as Lucy greeted and dismissed Virgo, and was to tired to move as she removed his shoes and jacket. He did, however, manage to wrap his arms around her as she lay down beside him. She'd apparently grabbed a blanket from the bed they wouldn't be using (the couch was much nicer).

Blessedly cool fingertips rubbed at his temples, easing the pressure building inside his skull. Jellal sighed in relief as the pain faded, Lucy's half-whispered, half-sung spell helping more than any medic mage's attempt ever had. Sleep came for him then, and for Lucy too, not long after.

* * *

Jellal leaned against Lucy's shoulder sleepily in their corner booth in the guild the next day. He barely twitched, and didn't open his eyes, as Makarov made the announcement.

"Alright, brats, listen up!" Fairy Tail's master roared, turning into his giant form. Everyone turned to look, curious.

"As you all know, we will be participating in the Grand Magic Games again this year. I have decided who will compete. Erza Scarlet!" Erza smirked and headed up to the front of the room as the guild roared their approval. "Gray Fullbuster! Natsu Dragneel! Mirajane Strauss! Gajeel Redfox!" The applause rose steadily louder as each name was called, and the chosen went to the front of the room.

Lucy beamed and cheered with her guild, but Jellal just smirked.

Fairytail was going to be so hung-over tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay guys, this chappy is like 2400 words. Wow. Sorry I took so long to get back, to this, but I should be updating more frequently now, bar any horrific mishaps.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but this chapter just wrote itself all on it's own...

* * *

The audience was practically vibrating with excitement as the announcer made his way to the microphone. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen-kabo, this is highly irregular, but a 9th guild will be competing-kabo. They were unable to participate in the first round due to an attack on their guild, courtesy of a dark guild they defeated some weeks ago-kabo. However, they were asked to attempt the sky maze task alone-kabo, with magical constructs as enemies, and were timed-kabo. As their time was indeed faster than any other, they will be allowed to compete-kabo."

Smoke began to roll from the unlit portion of the stands across the arena from Fairy Tail, just beside Sabertooth. Spotlights swept across it.

"We give you- Rosen Blaue-kabo!"

The audience roared with approval, but the guilds themselves were busy scratching their heads. They'd never even heard of this guild, not even on a job or just in passing.

The announcer changed to someone not a pumpkin.

"First up: You know them, you love them, the two most eligible bachelors of Sorcerer's Weekly, you won't be expecting this: Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, Rosen Blaue's Twin Dragon Slayers!"

Sabertooth was in an uproar as the light found the two sitting in the stands, Exceeds beside them.

"Second, cleared of his crimes against Fiore due to irrefutable proof of possession that, coincidentally, only came to light after he was broken out of prison, Jellal Fernandez! Oh, what's this? Alright folks, a little bird just told me a magical attack gone wrong resulted in accidental cloning. Let's welcome Jellal and Seigrain, the Fernandez Brothers!"

The two blunets were caught under the spotlight, Jellal slightly pink in the cheeks and Siegrain waving mockingly. They sat a row above Sting and Rogue, and a few feet to the left. (Their left. Not the audience's.)

"Next! Two former members of Oracion Seis, granted political amnesty by the oh-so-Fairy-Tail lady in charge of this nutty guild, Midnight and Cobra!" Cobra looked supremely bored and rather annoyed, but Midnight just looked mildly curious.

"Alright, this guy's an old favorite. Once a member of Fairy Tail, this Dragon Slayer is recognized as an S-Class mage and a titan among men. Let's welcome back Laxus Dreyar!"

The crowd roared again in approval, even as Fairy Tail whipped around to stare in shock.

"Okay then, let's see... Oh, this girl's a real cutie. A former member of Grimoire Heart and Crime Sorciere, Meredy Milkovich and her foster-mother, Urtear Milkovich!"

The whispers of shock and confusion dominated the stadium as Urtear was revealed with Meredy by her side. Both sat tall and proud, expressions smooth and chins held high.

"Back from his travels around the world, we have Sho Fernandez! My, the ladies seem to be loving this!"

It was true. Three incredibly attractive males, all brothers, in one place? Fan-girl paradise.

"Oh my, am I reading this right? In honor of his valiant efforts on Tenrou Island, I give you Rosen Blaue's youngest- and oldest- member, Zeref Heartfilia! There seem to be a lot of adoptions going on right now..." he muttered at the end.

There was silence as everyone stared at the admittedly cute boy sitting in the stands on Sho's other side, kicking his legs lazily.

The silence was only broken when one woman spoke up, maternal instinct getting the best of her. "Would you look at that? Evil Dark Mage my ass! Hmph, the things people believe these days..." she grumbled. "Cute as a button!"

The crowd, surprisingly, chuckled at this, and the tension eased then. A lot of the younger girls were looking at him dreamily, no doubt fantasizing about a certain 'dark prince'.

Said prince was starting to squirm a little, cheeks pink, as the attention lingered on him. He was endlessly grateful when the announcer took pity on him and continued.

"Yes folks, I know he's cute, but the next person is the last, and most certainly not the least. Acting Guild Master of Rosen Blaue and many-time winner of the Sorcerer's Weekly's Best Bust Award, once an important member of Fairy Tail, she disappeared for seven years in the Tenrou Island incident. Let me tell you folks, she hasn't aged a bit," he teased. "Well-known for her defeat of a gorilla-maid and friendship with Team Natsu, I'd like to welcome her Ladyship, Lucy Heartfilia!"

As the light splashed down on her their were 'ooh' s of appreciation and gasps of envy. Lucy sat in a tall, white marble throne with blue cushions. Draped in gold threads, it was a sight to behold, but it didn't compare to her dress.

Lucy looked magnificent sitting beneath Rosen Blaue's colors (a large banner with a blue rose, white background, and gold details). Her dress started with a sleeveless corset top in white, laced up the back with black ribbons glittered and jeweled to look like the night sky. Lucy's ballgown-style skirt billowed out in intricate, floor-length layers of white silk and shimmery black tulle and ribbon. The black ribbons were like streaks of night against the pale fabric that made up most of the gown. The dress bunched at Lucy's hip, and a gauzy veil of galaxy shone through the gap. A large, shiny black bow sat at the bunch, and a blue rose was pinned to her bosom, and black gloves went past her elbows, give the illusion of sleeves. The finishing touch was a delicate, black tiara dotted with mirror-bright stones, resting atop her head as gold ringlets cascaded down her back.

She looked every inch the heiress she was born as, and then some.

As the bustle of the crowd calmed some, Jellal stood and approached her, offering his arm. She smiled at him and slipped her fingers into the crook of his elbow, standing with surprising grace.

He lead her down the stairs of the stands to stand just behind the edge of the arena, reminiscent of a queen addressing her people from a balcony. Silence fell the instant she raised her hand, an uncharacteristic feat.

"Thank you," she began, "For you generous acceptance into this tournament, despite our circumstances. I am overjoyed to be here. Unfortunately, " many people frowned instinctively at this. "-some of our members could not make it here today." There were more?"Several were injured in the events of the last week, and need time to heal." The somber tone of her voice seemed to resonate. "They may be able to join us later on, but I apologize for their absence." She appeared to be addressing the audience, but people could tell it was also directed at the officials in attendance. "It is my honor, however, to tell you that our Guild Master will be returning from his mission late tomorrow. Furthermore, as I am only acting Guild Master, " Lucy smiled playfully, "I will be allowed to participate."

The cheering wasn't as loud as before, it was calmer, but the good will of the crowd was palpable.

Lucy beamed back at the crowd, eyes alight. She waved at them cheerily before returning to her seat, escorted by her boyfriend.

The announcer took over again. "Well folks, there you have it! The lovely Lucy and her brand new guild! I'll be seeing you all tomorrow, so goodnight everyone!"

Rosen Blaue filed out as a group, Lucy on Jellal's arm again and Sting and Rogue a step behind her to each side, like guards. Frosch rode on Lucy's shoulders, and Lector walked beside them. Meredy, Ultear and Seigrain walked in front, splitting the crowd with their intimidating aura. Zeref and Sho walked between and a little behind Sting and Rogue, with Laxus taking up the vanguard. Midnight and Cobra stalked along the outside of the group, keeping people from getting too close with their cold expressions.

Makarov met them by the entrance, expression stern. "Lucy..."

Her guild all slipped out of the space between the two to form a half-circle behind her.

Lucy smiled back at the elderly mage.

"Master," she greeted.

Makarov looked her over. "I... have always known you were different," he began.

Lucy's eyes widened.

"When you first arrived, I could see it. You had unbelievable potential; strong, still-growing magic, good leadership skills, and wisdom beyond your years. You always worried for those around you, even the ones that didn't worry back, and never would." His voice was somber. "You were never as cheery, it seemed, as the others, but then, you were not as quick to anger either. And, while slow to stir," he chuckled, "-your wrath was legendary."

Lucy couldn't help but blush, remembering some of the things she'd done to those who'd angered her.

"Sometimes, it was all I could do to leave you be, when your very magic cried out in pain. You always sought approval, and were hard on yourself if you thought you had failed in that quest. You were more practical than the others, too, and worried about rent, damages, and injury; even what happened to the criminals you'd captured. You made friends in the most unlikely of places, places no one else would have bothered to try. You fought with your nakama, side-by-side, even as you struggled under the burdens of others. Your capacity to love astounded me. Forgiveness was simple for you, if the person had honestly made a mistake, or if you thought they could be redeemed. Your ability to judge the character of others was uncanny; I'd never seen anything quite like it." He chuckled again, even as a tear trickled down his cheek. "When I first heard of your actions regarding this team, I'll admit I was worried. I feared that, in your love, you would be hurt. I knew none of these people beyond hearsay, and that concerned me. But you, my child... I am proud of you beyond words." He burst into tears then, even as Lucy wiped at her eyes.

Poor Makarov was the recipient of an Erza hug.

Lucy turned to Natsu, who was standing, unusually quiet, during the exchange.

She held her arms out to him.

"We're not guildmates anymore." Natsu wavered where he stood, torn between flinging himself at her and running the other way.

"That's okay," she assured him. "Nakama are nakama, no matter what."

Natsu practically tackled her then, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Lucy hugged him tight, arms wrapped around his trembling shoulders. "Hey, hey," she soothed. "I promised I wouldn't leave you behind, remember? We can still visit, and-" She was cut off for a moment when Happy slammed into her, wriggling between her and Natsu.

"Luuuuuccccyyyy!" he wailed. "I love you Lucy!"

Lucy chuckled. "I'm not going to disappear, I promise, okay? And we can go on jobs together, too. Now!" She released Natsu, grinning. "Who wants to throw a party for our new nakama?"

Fairy Tail roared in approval, startling many people around them with the sudden increase in volume. Lucy snickered. "Alright ladies and Urtear, let's lead them to the hall!"

"OY!" snapped Sting and Laxus in unison. Zeref pouted and Sho sulked. Rogue twitched. Siegrain slapped his hand to his forehead and muttered something unseemly.

Urtear's hand twitched as if was considering using a spell on her acting Guild Master.

Lucy waved them on, and started to walk down the street. The flood of people behind and around her drew wondering looks from people in the markets. Turning corners, crossing streets, and buying things at stands along the way, the joint numbers of Fairy Tail and Rosen Blaue poured into the city.

Even Sabertooth had to stop, and marvel a little at how close they were; laughing and dancing, singing or skipping, as playful flashes of magic sparkled in the air.

People stepped aside instinctively, and couldn't help but watch the overwhelmingly happy procession as it passed. A few tossed flowerpetals and confetti from their windows into the crowd, and were thanked with waves and laughter.

A florist handed Meredy a pink daisy, and a little girl down the street offered a piece of candy to Zeref. Sho did card tricks for the kids that followed them, and Gray and Juvia made a 2-minute snowfall just for fun.

Someone had gotten their hands on a bunch of pinwheels, and many members carried them now. Bubbles, courtesy of a grinning Romeo, floated through the streets. Sigrain put a spin on them with his magic, making them glow in the night air.

Jellal held Lucy's hand as they walked, and Cana and Laxus were trading insults happily.

You felt like you needed to be a part of it.

Soon sweets were handed out, and a teenage girl had walked out in front of them with a basket of sticky buns as a 'good luck gift' for the two guilds. "I always root for the underdog, " she'd joked.

By the time they reached Rosen Blaue's Guild Hall, the city was bustling with the people that celebrated in their wake.

Lucy whirled around, grinning wickedly as Fairy Tail marveled at the hall. "Guess what the best part is!" she demanded, practically jumping up and down with pride.

No one seemed to have any idea.

"It _moves_," Lucy explained. "We designed a teleportation circle based on the one I saw in Edolas, and as long as there's space we can move the hall."

Not waiting for their awed responses, she pushed the tall, blue doors open. "We're home!" she yelled. Everyone flooded in, laughing almost hysterically as they realized the bottom floor was a bar.

"I couldn't help myself!" Lucy pouted. "You guys need somewhere to hang when you visit."

Cana made straight for the barrels of booze in the corner, yelling "Thanks Lucy!" as she realized they were her favorite brand.

"Let's get this party started, brats!" roared Makarov, a tankard in hand already.

The roar of approval was heard all the way on the other side of the capital, at Sabertooth, where Rufus chuckled. "They certainly seem to be having fun."

Yukino sweat-dropped. "They're all going to be _so_ hungover in the morning..."


	4. Chapter 4

Rosen Blaue 4

Hey guys, hopefully this chapter I wrote is at least interesting. I originally designed it to be a bit of a plot-cleaner-upper by explaining some things, so I hope it didn't turn out too bad. Anyway, send me your questions, I'll try to address them(I have the attention span of a gnat, and memory of a hyper goldfish), and sorry it's so short.

"Why hasn't anything been done about this?" demanded the Princess.

Lahar looked away for a moment. "To be honest, You Highness… There's nothing we can do, not against this kind of magical power."

"How will you know if you don't try?!" she snapped, tossing her hair out of her eyes angrily.

"We did, Your Highness, and… It… didn't go well for us."

Flashback

Zeref looked up, startled, as Lahar stepped into the road in front of him. Dark eyes were curious, but wary. "Can I help you?" he asked cautiously, taking a small step back.

"Yes, actually," agreed Lahar, pushing up his glasses. "Don't resist capture." A small, taunting smile made its way to his lips. "The Anti-Mage Unit I brought is the best in the Army. You don't stand a chance. So, in the name of the Magic Council, you're under arrest.

"So, you arrested him?" the Princess asked.

"No, your Highness."

"What!?"

"Please let me finish, Your Highness."

"…Very well."

Zeref yelped when the Drain Charge slammed into his chest, and stumbled for a second, but showed no change in power-levels. He narrowed his eyes as the next set of attacks were launched, and pulled his magic in to form a slim, black glove that ended just below his wrist. Almost lazily, he swatted the Charges out of the air.

He's a monster, decided Lahar, taking a short step back before steeling himself.

At that moment, an Army combat mage leapt into the fray, hitting Zeref point-blank with an impact-based spell.

The black-haired mage was smashed against the wall, but got back to his feet in mere seconds, expression darkening. The only sign of the attack was a streak of soot on his cheek.

Zeref flicked his wrist, and a tendril of dark magic twisted and writhed in the air, forming a whip. Crack. He was no amateur with his weapon of choice.

The same combat mage lunged at Zeref again, only to have the whip crack! Like black lightning against his armor, knocking him back sharply. It was his turn to hit a wall, but _he_ didn't get up.

"Retreat!" ordered Lahar, eyes widening as a crushing magical presence appeared nearby, headed in the direction of the fight.

His men were only too happy to obey.

A hooded, female figure appeared beside Zeref as the army retreated.

All Lahar caught was a glimpse of blonde.

"He is a monster," the Princess agreed solemnly.

"They all are," Lahar snorted lowly. "Your Highness, Fairy Tail and Rosen Blaue produce very powerful, very loyal mages. No one can deny that."

He just swatted them away like flies, he though with a shudder.

"If we were to commission a guild-" the Princess suggested.

"They'd lose." Lahar had no problem with interrupting her now. "Sabertooth was previously the number one guild in Fiore, and two of their strongest members have joined Rosen Blaue. Furthermore, as Miss Heartfilia is still registered as both a Fairy and a Blue, I have no doubt Fairy Tail is in league with them. Mages like the Titania are not something we have a great supply of. Worst of all, the paperwork was filed before members were chosen, so the guild is legal. We can't disband it, because they'll just register as a Rogue Guild, and do whatever they want without even attempting to follow the laws."

The Princess chewed her lip viciously. "Do we have anything on them?"

Lahar shook his head. "No. Documented evidence of Jellal Fernandez's inability to control his actions has been duplicated, and sent out. It's not enough to stand on legally, but it's enough to cause us a major blow for his arrest. We can't touch him. Laxus Dreyar has no true criminal record, as he hasn't actually harmed anyone. He's also more magic than man," Lahar dismissed. "Not someone we want to be fighting."

"What about the Celestial Mage?"

"Heartfilia is a key member of both guilds. Targeting her… Remember the War with Phantom Lord? Imagine that, but on a much larger scale with far more powerful mages. Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox have joined Fairy Tail. That's one quarter of the Element 4, and Black Steel Gajeel. Two of the six Oracion Seis members have also joined Rosen Bl-"

"Can we get them for that?"

Lahar grimaced. "We have the legal grounds to arrest them, but…"

"But what?" she prodded exasperatedly.

"They were not given proper trials," Lahar spat, looking disgusted. "As such, they were illegally held prisoners, and have leverage against us too."

"They're blackmailing us?!"

"Well…yes. And seem rather smug about it."

She stared at him for a moment. "The blonde boy?"

"No criminal record, and he's a Victim of the Tower of Heaven Incident. Which we only made worse."

"The two from Grimoire Heart?"

"If they've removed their guildmarks, no evidence. All eye-witness accounts belong to Fairy Tail or Rosen Blaue members, who can detract or discredit them, thus destroying the case. Also…" he paused here, looking torn between disgust and worry.

"Go on," the Princess prompted softly.

"…The Grimoire Heart woman, Urtear, was apparently the one possessing Fernandez. As a small child, she was stolen from her mother and taken to a lab."

The Princess looked horrified. "You mean… For human experimentation?"

Lahar's grim nod made her clap a hand to her mouth. Slowly, she slumped back in her throne. "How awful," she murmured. "And not a thing I can do."

Slowly, she looked up at Lahar. "Leave me. I need to think."


End file.
